Selena Gomez is throwing off all the shackles from growing up on a Disney sound stage as a child actress and is feeling more empowered than ever. (Photo: Victor Demarchelier for GQ)

Selena Gomez is feeling more empowered than ever, but it wasn’t always that way. For years, she tried to live up to the pristine image of a Disney teen queen. After all, she grew up on a Disney sound stage. But these days she’s finally found herself.

Gomez, now 23, began the transition two years ago. It’s a story that has been well documented in IM.

She began the transition in 2014 when she fired her longtime managers, who just happen to be her mother and stepfather. The split has been brewing for some time over the direction of her career.

Selena wanted more control over her own destiny and her image. It was a crucial time in her life when she was transitioning to a more mature career as a singer and actress. She was also struggling with the departure of her first love, Justin Bieber.

She declared her independence by posting an artfully concealed nude photo of herself dancing behind a sheer curtain. She took her cue from Disney pals Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens.

Although the transition has been slow in coming, she now feels more liberated and more empowered than ever. And, she’s in total control of her image. She made clear in her GQ interview that she no longer worries about people judging her.

“I didn’t have an opportunity to figure out my life without people having an opinion every step of the way,” she tells the magazine. “I chose this, so I’m not gonna sit here and say, ‘Oh, my God, poor me, I didn’t have a normal childhood.’ I don’t give a fu*k about that.”

Selena has blossomed sexually, but hasn’t gone over the top like Miley, who has embraced nudity as part of her act.

Check out her photos, the video below, let us know your thoughts and be sure to follow IM on Twitter for the latest celebrity news.

About The Author

TheImproper Staff

Keith Girard is Editor and Publisher of TheImproper, New York City’s cutting edge arts, entertainment pop culture and lifestyle Web magazine. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of Billboard magazine and a reporter for the Washington Post among other media positions.